Pharmacists call for what they are owed

Pharmacists call for what they are owed


Anton McNulty

PHARMACISTS in Mayo have called on the HSE to pay them what they are owed after a recent High Court judgement ruled that the HSE and the Department of Health had breached pharmacists’ contracts by cutting payments.
A meeting of Mayo pharmacists was held in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, recently, where they considered the implications of the High Court judgement on September 11 on a case taken by Hickey’s Pharmacies. The High Court had ruled that the HSE breached the contract of pharmacists by reducing payments on the community drugs schemes.
The HSE had imposed these cuts in payment from March 1, 2008, and following the judgement, pharmacists are calling for that money to be repaid. Mr Noel Stenson of Stenson’s Pharmacy in Achill Sound welcomed the judgement and called for talks to get under way on a new pharmacy contract.
“We would now expect the HSE to repay pharmacists what they are owed. The court has ruled that this cut in payments was unlawful and should not have been made in the first place. Once the HSE re-instates pharmacists’ payment arrangements and in doing so honours pharmacists’ contracts, there will be an opportunity for pharmacists and the HSE to begin talks on important issues such as how savings can be made on the medicines bill. We recognise that this is an issue for the Government and for our patients and therefore we are anxious to get talks under way on a new pharmacy contract as soon as possible,” he said.
The meeting was addressed by Ms Liz Hoctor, President of the Irish Pharmacy Union, who told the members that she viewed the High Court decision as an opportunity to move forward  and she hoped the HSE would see the decision in a similar light. She added that significant savings could be made every year, if the HSE enabled pharmacists to offer the patient the choice of a cheaper generic medicine, instead of a more expensive brand.
“We have made many proposals to the HSE on how savings can be made on medicines without damaging the service that we provide to patients. For example, significant savings could be made every year, if the HSE enabled pharmacists to offer the patient the choice of a cheaper generic medicine, instead of a more expensive brand. Generic substitution is used in most other European countries to save money for both the State and patients.
“Pharmacists can advise the patients on how to get the maximum benefit from the medicines they take. Initiatives around the quality use of medicines would help the HSE tackle medicines wastage in a way that also improves patients’ health,” she concluded.